Water distributor for portable air coolers



July 19, 1955 J. E. LONG WATER DISTRIBUTOR FOR PORTABLE AIR COOLERS Filed Feb. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jafm E. Long BY 5 Z 2 ATTORNEYS July 19, 1955 J. E. LONG 2,713,509

WATER DISTRIBUTOR FOR PORTABLE AIR COOLERS Filed Feb. 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR John E.L0.n

ATTORNEYS United States Patent WATER DISTRIBUTOR FOR PORTABLE AIR v COOLERS John E. Long, Chico, Calif., assignor to Norman R. Watt-ers, Chico, Calif.

Application February 24, 1953, Serial No. 338,441

7 Claims. (Cl. 299--62) The present invention relates to an improvement in domestic air coolers of the water evaporative type; i. e., wherein water is trickled downwardly in foraminous pads through which the air flows in heat exchange relation for cooling.

The invention is directed in particular to, and it is a major object to provide, a novel power driven device for distributing water from a bottom pan of the cooler onto the evaporator pads for the above purpose.

Another important object of the instant invention is to provide a water distributor, as above, which embodies a novel vertical axis spinner, partially submerged in the water in the pan and operative, when rotated at high speed, to discharge streams of water in an upward and outward path in the direction of and onto the evaporator pads which upstand in surrounding relation to said spinner.

An additional object of this invention is to provide, in combination with the water distributing spinner, a novel rotary baffle against which the streams of water from the spinner impinge, whereby to break the direct streams into a spray, which in turn is directed onto the pads, affording greater and more even distribution of the water thereon than otherwise would be the case.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a water distributor for air coolers which is designed for simplicity and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable water distributor for portable air coolers, and one which will be exceedingly eifective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, from above, of the air cooler.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation of the air cooler showing the novel water distributor.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rotary baflle plate.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the spinner.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the invention is here shown as embodied in a portable air cooler which includes an upstanding, multi-sided housing, indicated generally at 1.

The housing 1 is comprised of a bottom pan 2 having upstanding sides 3, and the top of the housing is indicated at 4; the latter including depending sides 5 corresponding to the sides 3 of the bottom pan 2 but spaced a considerable distance thereabove.

Connecting and supporting posts 6 are secured to and extend between corresponding ones of the sides 3 and sides 5.

Within the housing 1, and at each side thereof, there is a relatively thick upstanding evaporator pad 7 which extends full height of the housing and is of a material such as excelsior.

2,713,509 Patented July 19, 1955 Exteriorly of each pad 7 there is a screen 8, and such screens likewise extend full height of the housing 1, providing a facing for the pads 7.

The top 4 is formed with an enlarged circular opening 9 into which is fitted the peripheral portion of a screen dome 10.

A vertical axis electric motor 11 is suspended in the upper portion of the housing 1 centrally thereof by circumferentially spaced hanger straps 12; such motor having a double ended shaft, the upper end 13 of such shaft.

having a fan blade 14 secured thereon. As shown, thefan blade 14 works in the screen dome 10, being operative to draw air through the pads 7 for cooling, and then to discharge such air through the screen dome 10 into the room.

The lower end of the motor shaft is indicated at 15 and is connected, by a coupling 16, to the upper end of a vertical spindle 17 which depends into the pan 2 but terminates short of the bottom thereof.

A V-shaped spinner, indicated generally at 18, is fixed to the lower end portion of the depending spindle 17; such spinner 18 including opposed upwardly and outwardly diverging legs 19 fixed at their lower end to said spindle.

Radial stay bars 20 extend from the spindle 17 horizontally to connection with the upper ends of the spinner legs 19.

As so fixed in connection with the spindle 17 the spinnet 13 may be rotated at relatively high speed.

The legs 19 are of angle shape in cross section, with the angle upstanding from the trailing edge, as shown; the result being that such legs 19 form, in effect, water flow channels.

Upon operation of the electric motor 11, which simultaneously drives the fan 14 and the spindle 17, the V-shaped spinner 18 is rotated at relatively high speed; water being picked up by the angle shaped legs 19 and, by reason of the centrifugal force, the water flows to the upper ends of such-legs and thence discharges upwardly and outwardly as streams. These streams are directed at an upward and outward incline toward the upper portions of the pads 7. However, it is undesirable that the direct or unbroken streams strike the pads 7, and therefore the following bafile means is employed.

A flat baflie plate 21 of elongated but rectangular configuration is attached centrally to the spindle 17 directly above the spinner 18; the end portions of such plate 21 projecting radially from opposite sides of said spindle, and in the same vertical plane as the corresponding legs 19.

The rotary baflle plate 21 is secured to the spindle 17 by an attachment web 22 which extends, intermediate its ends, through a slot 23 in the spindle, and is thence fixed, as by welding or soldering, to the top or" said plate 21; the latter having a suitable central hole 24 therein for the passage of said spindle.

At its opposite ends the rotary baffle plate 21 is formed with upturned baffle flanges 25 which lie substantially in the extended diagonal planes of the legs 19; each such baffie flange being vertically corrugated from end to end thereof, as at 26.

As the streams of water discharge from the upper ends of the legs 19 of the spinner 18, said streams impinge against the corrugations 26 of the related baflie flange 25, thus breaking the stream into fine droplets. The result is that the stream, beyond or above the battle flanges 25, is in the form of a spray, which spray is directed into the pads 7 in the upper portions thereof for subsequent trickling downward in said pads for the accomplishment of heat exchange with the passing air 7 are constantly supplied-adjacent the upper portionwith sufficient water from the supply 27 in the bottom pan 2; any water which remains in the pads after trickling downwardly therein returning to said pan for subsequent recirculation. The water 27 in the bottom pan 2 may be maintained at proper level by pouring water into an exposed trough 28 formed exteriorly in one of the sides 3.

It should also be noted that in the course of the projection of the streams of water from the spinner 18 to the pads 7, including the configuration of such streams into a spray by the bafile flanges 25, additional cooling action on the air is accomplished in the housing 1 as the air flowsthrough the sprayin its course of travel between the pads 7 and the screen dome 10.

In certain adaptations, where a lesser quantity of water need be sprayed on the pads 7, the spinner 18 may be constructed with a single leg 19 of channel tori-ning angle shape, while the remaining leg 19 will be a fiat strip, thus without any water discharging characteristic.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will sub stantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A Water distributor comprising, with a vertical rotary spindle and a water tank having its bottom below the lower end of the spindle, a spinner mounted on the spindle and depending into the water in the tank and arranged to pick up and throw a stream from such water in an upward and outwardly diverging relation to the spindle upon rotation thereof; said spinner comprising a rigid leg fixed with the spindle, said leg being L-shaped in section and arranged relative to the direction of rotation of the spindle, to form a water-flow channel opening upwardly and also laterally in the direction of rotation of the spindle.

2. A water distributor comprising, with a vertical rotary spindle and a water tank having its bottom below the lower end of the spindle, a spinner mounted on the spindle and depending into the water in the tank and arranged to pick up and throw a stream from such water in an upward and outwardly diverging relation to the Iii) spindle upon rotation thereof; and bathe means fixed on the spindle above the spinner and projecting into the path of the stream thrown up by said spinner and arranged to break up the stream into a spray.

3. A water distributor comprising, with a vertical rotary spindle and a water tank having its bottom below the lower end of the spindle, a spinner mounted on the spindle and depending into the water in the tank and arranged to pick up and throw a stream from such water in an upward and outwardly diverging relation to the spindle upon rotation thereof; and baffle means fixed on the spindle above the spinner and projecting into the path of the stream thrown up by said spinner and arranged to break up the stream into a spray without affecting the general direction of upward diverging movement of the water in the spray.

4. A distributor, as in claim 2, in which said baflie means comprises a substantially horizontal plate fixed on the spindle, and an upwardly projecting transverse flange on the outer end of the plate disposed at an angle substantially the same as that of the stream in position to intersect the same.

5. A distributor, as in claim 4, in which the flange is vertically corrugated.

6. A water distributor comprising, with a vertical rotary spindle and a water tank having its bottom below the lower end of the spindle, a spinner mounted on the spindle and extending into the water in the tank, and arranged to pick up and throw a stream from the water supply in an upward and outwardly diverging relation to the spindle upon rotation thereof; said spinner being in the form of a rigid leg secured to the spindle and extending upwardly in diverging relation thereto, and battle means fixed on the spindle above the leg and including an upwardly projecting flange disposed at an angle substantially the same as that of the leg and in general alinement therewith.

7. A distributor, as in claim 6, in which the flange is longer horizontally than the width of the leg while being disposed symmetrical thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,559 Cutler Dec. 8, 1931 1,859,770 Fleisher May 24, 1932 1,946,536 Kohler Feb. 13, 1934 2,062,158 Berlowitz NOV. 24, 1936 2,498,818 Nogle Feb. 28, 1950 2,614,886 Dewdney Oct. 21, 1952 

